The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-20

general Industries round about But as
wages In the gensssl industries declined
so also wages In glass we're upon decided
decline az the close OF the first period OF
protection. That the first period OF pro-
lection, from 1924 TO 1916, did not raise the
wages of labor is beyond dispute. Daniel
Webster, speaking In behalf OF the system
In the Senate In 1915, admitted that wages
did not rise during this period, and ex'
pressed doubt If they had not really de-
clined. In reply to Calhoun upon this
question, he said
"Now | do not learn from him any facts
showing that labor rose greatly In price
after 1928 If 1t kept up to what II had
been, incline to think that was all.
Reasonable protection does not 20 much
raise the price of labor, although II should
raise II In some degree, as 1t multiplies the
methods Of its employment" &c.
In lS4l, after the WhIg victory OF lS4o'
In order TO smooth the way TO more extreme
tariff Legislation, the House OF Representa-
tives appointed committee to Investigate
an6 report upon the effect Of the tariff up
ON wages of labor, and, though against the
expectation and political bias OF the party
amounting II, the committee, on the 3lst
Of March, 1912, reported, through Salton-
stall. its chairman, that protection had not
in the least degree raised the wages OF
labor.
Again, In 1915, Robert j. Walker, the
then secretary of the treasury, Instituted
another investigation, and II was found
from the pay rolls of the establishments
themselves, that wages had Increased In
none of the industries that In many they
had actually declined; and In agriculture,
in which our people were principally en-
gagged, wages had declined from ~ 70 90
per cent. These investigations were thor.
ough, official, authoritative, and establish
the fact that the first period OF protection
from 1924 to 1916, did not raise the wages
of the laborer; and, though through all
these years glass received enormous ana
steady protection, wages In glass formed
no exception to the general rule.
Carroll D. Wright, chief OF Bureau OF
Labor Statistics, has published "Histori-
cal Review OF Wages and Prices" from
1859 to 1898. He gives the wages OF all
in the glass industry; but, as
wages of all varied with wages OF glass
blowers, to economic space will give
here only the wages of the blowers. tie
gives The average wages OF blowers in 1880
at 50 IS per day, in 1885 at 81 40, In lsio
at S2.s7, and in 1915 at s2.77 per day.
Thus we see that wages in the glass Indus
try raised during the first and declined
during the last of the first period OF protec'
ton. During all these years iron received
high and steady protection, and wages In
the iron industries were during all that
time less than SSc per day. But the sig
milf AM fact which | wish here to particu.
larry emphasize is, tina. wages In all the
industries were upon the decline, az they
are now, at the close of the first period OF
protection.
The election of Polk in 1874 by the
Democratic party again menaced the pro-
tective system, and the year 1S45 was one
OF heated and general controversy upon the
of tarif. Secretary Walker LED
savage crusade against It. The protected
interests took the alarm, demanded, 10
now. scientific revision" II any was to-
be made, and violently denounced the
"blind meataxe massacre Of the industries"
by the secretary. Then, as now
the protected industries "humblY acknow-
lodged they could not proceed to business"
without protection. Then, as now, It was
veher,ently asserted that to disturb the
protective system would strike down the
wages Of labor, ruin the industries and
spreaG desolation broadcast over the ma
ton.
The great secretary replied that the pre-
tective system was crime against labor a
clog and dead weight TO NATIONAL prospect
ty, and vowed that, had he the power he
would use very cleaver In cutting 1t down;
asserted, with truth, that real tariff reform
would be the immediate and total elimina-
ton of the protective element from our
tariff system; asserted that the repeal OF
protection would give to labor higher
wages, more constant employment, and
cheaper goods, to the industries renewed
energy, an expanded and steady Market
and TO the nation at large. relieved, hoer-
ated and universal prosperity and, having
the courage of his convictions, he laid the
axe at the root of the tree. The change
came In 1876 sudden, decisive, sweeping
radical. ana the result justified his expec'
tations.
The duty on window glass was speciilc
and equivalent to nearly 100 per cent VI
the sOth of July. 1s4o it was cut down at I
single stroke to an horlz6atal advalorum
20 per cent on all sizes and prices NJ
reason can be given why like cut wouie
| a. n ,,d,stpv NOW that WAS not urge(